A Shared Philosophy Extras
by Still Waters
Summary: Did you ever write a story and leave out a scene because the chapter was too long or it didn't advance the story? Or have a reviewer say 'I would love to have seen...? Or just suddenly get an idea for something that should have happened way back? Here's my solution. Extras. Missing Moments. Hope you like. Will probably include all characters used in the original story.
1. Chapter 1

_Well, the Muse decided I wasn't completely finished with this one. A couple of reviewers made some comments and got me thinking about some scenes I didn't include. I decided to write them out and post them, see if I get any feedback._

 _If you wondered about what happened to the card that Maria made for Nick in chapter 2, here you go. If you hadn't thought about it...read it anyway._

* * *

Shared Philosophy Extras

Phil walked the hospital corridor, carefully studying the room numbers. Passing the opened doors, he noticed the balloons and flowers on display. He doubted the room he was looking for would have any of either.

He was right.

The side tables and window ledge in Nick Fury's room were bare. He briefly considered heading to the gift shop for a balloon, just to see how he would react to the gift, but decided against it.

He would not be amused.

Phil entered the room quietly, just in case the patient was resting. The light was dimmed, but a glint from the bed let him know that he was being watched. He moved into the room slowly.

"How are you, sir?" he asked.

Fury studied him sardonically. "F-ing fabulous, Coulson. Never better. Wanna trade?"

Phil studied the other man. His head and one side of his face were covered in white gauze. Though his skin tone prevented seeing any bruising, he could still detect significant swelling. Plaster incased one arm and leg.

But he was alive and terrifying as ever.

"Nah. I'm good," Phil told him.

It was silent for several, then Fury spoke again.

"Just here to gawk?"

The younger man remembered the purpose of his visit and reached into his pocket. "No. That's just an added bonus. I brought you something."

He crossed over to the bed and handed him the card Maria had made. Nick glared at him a moment before taking it. He glanced down at it, then frowned, pulling it up for a closer look.

He set it down and reached over to turn the light up. After looking at the front again, he opened it.

"Sorry you got hurt.

I hope you are better soon.

So you can beat up the bad guys."

His lips twitched slightly in what Phil recognized as a smile, though no one else probably would. He closed the card, once again examining the drawing on the front. Turning it one way, then another, he finally looked up at the other man.

"You want to be my good eye and tell me what it is?"

"I think it's supposed to be you, Sir." He started pointing. "Legs. Arms. Head. I think that's a patch over your eye."

Nick nodded slowly.

"Kid's smart and has her talents, but drawing ain't one of 'em."

"Do you want to look into art classes or something for her? There's funds for that."

Phil thought a moment, then shook his head. "I don't think it's that important to her. She really focuses on what's important. The martial arts stuff. Her school work...math and reading. You can see that she erased what she wrote and redid it neater. The drawing? She just did it."

Nick nodded. "You're probably right. How does she know about this anyway? Why were you there? Is everything okay?"

"She's fine," Phil assured him. "Had a really nasty storm system move through the area a few days back. I was headed back to HQ and noticed the time and realized she'd probably be walking home from school about then. I followed the route she takes and found her soaking wet and hiding in a doorway. She didn't want to be home by herself with it storming, so we sat in a parking garage until it passed. I worked on some paperwork while she worked on her homework. Got to talking. She asked how you were doing, so I told her."

"Should have just told her I was fine," Fury groused.

"I didn't think there was any reason to. And I got to talk to her about some other things, too. Did you know that her mother died in childbirth?"

"I did," Nick acknowledged.

"Did you also know that her dad has her convinced that it was her fault? That she's bad luck to people who want to do good things for her?"

"What the?"

"She told me that what happened to you was her fault, too. I told her that she's not to blame for what happened to you or to her mom. Not sure if she belived me or not, but I suppose it's something we look to reinforce. Oh, and I also gave her my cell number. Told her to call me any time if she needs anything at all."

"Good thought," Nick told him. "I hope she'll use it."

"Me, too," Phil agreed.

"Did you get her some rain gear? Umbrella? Coat? Boots? Whatever?"

Coulson looked down at his feet. "Yeah. It's been taken care of."

Fury watched, waiting for him to continue.

"Melinda says Jasper and I can't buy her any clothes without her approval," he admitted.

"Let me guess," Nick drawled. "Captain America?"

"There's nothing wrong with Captain American," Phil said defensively. "She liked the pencil box I got for her.

"I'm sure she did. But the red, white and blue is probably a little...bright. She's not one to want to stand out. Maria's more to stay in the background. Watch what's going on."

"Yeah, she is," he admitted. "But it was better than what Jasper picked out."

Fury looked at him curiously.

"Bright pink. With rainbows and unicorns."

"Definitely not."

"Nope."

"So, what about me? Am I allowed to buy clothes? Just in case I find something I think she might need," Nicked asked.

Phil nodded. "Mel said to leave the clothes shopping to her or to you. You'd probably stick to basic black, so she wasn't worried about you."

Nick smiled slightly, his mind going to the handmade sweater he had traded some reations for from an elderly woman in a small village he had passed through recently. It was soft and warm. And black.

He looked down at the card still in his hand. "What am I supposed to do with this?" he asked.

"Take it home. Put it on your refrigerator."

"Don't have one," Nick told him.

"Refrigerator? Or home?"

"Either one, really."

"You want me to hold on to it?" Phil asked.

"Nah. I'll figure out something. Thanks for bringing it by."

"No problem. Speedy healing," he told the older man as he headed out.

 **TWENTY YEARS LATER**

Maria sat in the hospital waiting room, watching the controlled chaos going on around her. She had accompanied Director Fury to a meeting with the security detail of a foreign dignitary. On the way out of the building, a man carrying a large cup of coffee had run into him, dumping the hot liquid onto Nick's chest.

He had shrugged out of his coat, handing it to Maria as the man handed him a stack of napkins and he started blotting at the stain. After a brief pause, he had continued towards the waiting vehicle, continuing to dry off.

Freezing suddenly, he looked down in surprise at the red splotch that had suddenly appeared in the middle of his chest. Maria pushed him down and drew her weapon, squeezing off several shots at the vehicle speeding past them. She was rewarded to see the gunman in the passenger set slump forward, his gun falling to the pavement.

"After them!" she yelled to the driver who had been waiting for them. He jumped into their vehicle and took off as she knelt next to the injured man. She looked around, gauging the scene before looking down at Nick.

"Ambulance is on the way!" someone yelled.

"Hear that?" she asked as she spread his coat over him. "Ambulance will be here soon. You just need to hold on."

He nodded weakly. "Don't worry. You're not getting my job just yet, Hill."

When the EMTs arrived, they quickly assessed his injuries, then loaded him into the ambulance for the ride to the hospital. She took the coat they handed her and climbed in the transport before anyone could protest.

Now, she stood, waiting word on his condition. A woman approached her, clipboard in hand.

"Are you with the gentleman who was just brought in?"

Maria nodded.

"He's my...dad," she said, daring the woman to argue with her. She figured 'boss' wouldn't get her quite as much information.

"You'll need to fill this out," she said, passing over the clipboard. "I'll also need his identification and insurance card."

Maria felt a bulge in an inside pocket of his coat and reached in, pulling out his wallet. She handed over the requested items, then sat down to fill out the paperwork. When the nurse brought his ID back, she put them back in the wallet and started to return it to his pocket.

Curiosity got the better of her.

What does Nick Fury carry in his wallet?

Driver's license. Insurance card. SHIELD ID and weapons permit. To her surprise, there was a single photo in the folder. She laughed, though, when she realized it was the one that came with the wallet.

Several bills of various denominations.

And a small, folded piece of paper.

It looked like it had been there for a while and she pulled it out, unfolding it carefully so as not to damage something that was clearly important to him.

Her 'Ice Queen' reputation would have suffered serious damage had anyone witnessed her reaction when she realized what it was.

Though they probably would have been equally surprise to discover that the hardass Director Fury carried around a handmade get well card from an eight year old girl.

She folded it back as before and tucked it back where she found it. She never mentioned the discovery to him, but took comfort knowing he had kept it.

* * *

 _As always, thanks for reading. Also, as always, I'd love to know what you thought. I may post some more like this as the ideas come. Random missing moments from the story. No particular order. If anyone is interested._


	2. Sisters

_I god a couple of positive comments on this, so I'll put up another of my random ideas._

 _Qweb: Your kind comments and support are appreciated more than you could know._

 _Ella: Thanks. I have several ideas for these and will try to get them up if readers are interested._

 _For your reading pleasure (I hope), here's another missing moment from my Shared Philosophy storyline. This one takes place after the end of the original story. It's a couple of years into Maria's SHIELD career and looks at the relationship between Maria and Melinda. It's a little longer than the first chapter._

 _I hope you like._

* * *

A Shared Philosophy Extras 2: Sisters

Maria finished brushing her teeth and rinsed the sink. She dried her face and looked in the mirror, nodding in satisfaction. The evening had been a good one. It was Lian's birthday and she and Melinda had both managed to get back to the cozy cottage for a few days.

The three had enjoyed a relaxing evening, sipping wine as they threw together a light dinner and chatted about the subjects they were all allowed to discuss. Their talk had continued well into the night until Lian had announced it was time for bed.

And two of the toughest women in SHIELD headed off the get ready for bed.

Maria started back to her room, then changed direction and knocked on Melinda's door instead. After several seconds, the other woman called for her to enter. When she did, she found the older woman sitting on her bed, rubbing lotion onto her hands and arms. She hopped up on the bed, sitting cross-legged facing Melinda. Grabbing the lotion bottle, she squeezed out a dallop and started rubbing it in.

Finally, she looked over at her friend.

"So. Andrew."

Melinda looked back at her.

"Frank."

Maria's brow wrinkled. "Who's Frank?"

Mel shrugged. "I don't know. I thought we were just tossing out random mens names."

"But is 'Andrew' really just a random name?" Maria asked with a sly grin.

"Which Andrew? There's President Andrew Jackson, but he's dead. Andrew Parker in finance. Andrew Ryan in transportation. Andrew Beets in the kitchen."

"Andrew Gardner in psych," the other woman interrupted.

"Oh, yeah. Almost forgot him."

"Right."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I hear things. See things."

"Things?"

"Come on, Mel. What's going on with you two?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," May replied, picking up a nail file and turning her attention to smoothing her nails.

"Fine. I'll drop it. For now. Which is not to say that I might not bring him up again at dinner tomorrow night. When Fury and Phil and Jasper are here."

That got her a narrow eyed glare. "Don't you dare, Maria Christine. You will pay and pay dearly, child," she threatened.

Laughing, Maria threw up her hands in surrender. "All you have to do is say you don't want to talk about it."

"Fine. I don't wans to talk about it," Melinda snarled.

"Okay." Still laughing, Maria slid off the bed She gave the other woman a quick hug. "Night."

"Night. Sweet dreams."

"You, too. About Andrew."

She pulled the door closed and the pillow Melinda had thrown at her bounced off it harmlessly.

Back in her own room, Maria completed her own nightly routine, then pulled out a book and climbed into bed. She was pulled from her reading by a tap at her door. Moments later, it eased opened and Melinda poked her head in.

"Can I come in?"

Before Maria could answer, she did so. She had a bowl of popcorn in one arm, the other hand clutching two bottles of beer. She crossed to the bed and handed Maria the bowl, then climbed in the bed next to her.

"You are old enough to drink, aren't you?"

Maria threw a piece of popcorn at her, which she caught neatly, then handed over one of the bottles. After clinking them together in a toast, Melinda eyed the book the other woman had been reading.

"'Breaking Them, Remaking Them'? A little light reading before bedtime?"

Maria shrugged. "There have been a lot of organizations that use these types of methods. I figure the more knowledge I have on the subject, the better equipped I can be when I encounter people who've been trained by them."

"Hmm." Melinda idly leafed through the book, slowing to read a line or two here or there.

"He's got a great sense of humor," she finally mumbled.

Maria just waited.

"And he's really smart."

"He is a doctor. I think that usually requires some smarts."

"Yeah, but he's reality smart, too, not just book smart."

"Uh huh."

"And he's easy to talk to. Great laugh."

"Nice ass."

Melinda looked at her with a one sided grin. "Damn nice ass," she agreed, and they clinked their bottles together again.

After another swallow, she leaned her head on Maria's shoulder. "And he makes me feel things I've never felt before. Think about things I've never thought of. Things I shouldn't be thinking of."

"What kind of things?"

"A future. With someone. A family."

"Why shouldn't you be thinking about things like that?"

"Those kinds of things aren't for people like us, Maria. We do too much. See too much. Too much of the ugliness. And it gets inside us. Inside our lives and our relationships and eats away at them. Outsiders can't understand and insiders understand too well. We're just not meant for long term relationships of a romantic nature. My folks couldn't make it work."

"Maybe not. But Mom and Nick have been together for quite a while and it seems to be working just fine for them."

Melinda choked on her beer, then started coughing, Maria slapped her on the back.

When Mel was able to catch her breath, she looked at the other woman in disbelief.

"Mom and Fury? Where did you get an idea like that?"

"Um...from watching them. The way they act around each other. Talk to each other. You honestly mean to tell me you haven't picked up on that?"

"No, I haven't. Because there's nothing to pick up on."

"Is, too."

"Is not."

"Is."

"Isn't."

Melinda threw the covers back and slipped out of the bed. She took both beers and set them on the bedside table, then grabbed Maria's hand and pulled her out of the room and down the hallway.

"What are you doing, Mel?"

"We're going to settle this once and for all," she replied, knocking sharply on Lian's bedroom door. "Mom?" she called.

After several moments, the door opened a small crack and the older May peered out at them.

"Is everything alright, girls?" she asked, tying the belt on her robe.

"Fine," her daughter told her. "Maria just has this ridiculous idea that you and Director Fury are..."

"Are what?"

"You know..."

Melinda stammered, uncharacteristically under her mothers gaze.

"No, I don't know. Why don't you tell me."

"Together. Romantically," she finally managed to say.

Lian turned, speaking softly to someone behind her. The door swung open wider to reveal s shirtless Fury. He wrapped and arm around her and leaned over to kiss the top of her head.

"Would that be a problem?" he asked,, turning a one-eyed glare at the two younger woman.

Melinda's eyes had gone wide and her mouth hung open,.

Maria reached over and gently pushed her jaw upward. "No, sir. No problem at all. Right, Mel?"

"Huh?"

"No problem at all. With them. Together."

Her gaze slid back to the duo on the other side of the doorway.

"How long has this been going on?" she asked.

"A while," her mother replied. "But well after your father and I split up, so this had nothing to do with what happened between us."

"Why didn't you ever say anything? Why keep it such a secret?"

"Keeping secrets is what we do," Nick reminded her. "It becomes such a habit that we do it even when we probably don't really need to,"

"Then there's the safety issue," Lian added. "I've got my enemies and he's got his and we both have a pretty good idea who they are. We thought by keeping this quiet, there was less chance of my enemies going after him or his coming after me."

"Or you," he told her.

No one spoke for several moments. Finally, the elder May cleared her throat.

"If there's nothing else, we were kind of in the middle of something," she commented. She stepped close, kissing each of them lightly on the cheek, then giving them a push back towards their rooms. "Sleep well. Sweet dreams."

"You, too," Maria replied with a smirk. "Whenever you finally get to sleep."

When the door clicked shut, Maria took Melinda's hand and pulled her back down the hallway. May turned around, sitting on the edge of the bed, still thinking about what she had seen. Without a word, she picked up her beer, quickly emptying it. When she set the empty down, Maria handed her the other bottle and she repeated the process with it.

"You want me to go to the kitchen and get you another one? Or dozen?" Maria offered with a smile.

Melinda considered a moment, then shook her head. "Tempting, but probably not a good idea. I've got things to do tomorrow and this is just about my limit."

At the other womans urging, she climbed back into the bed, scooting over to make room. She sighed heavily, leaning her head back against the headboard.

"How could I have missed that?" she questioned.

"Like Fury said, keeping secrets is what they do. They're good at it, because lives can depend on it."

"Yeah, but secrets are what I do, too. I'm supposed to notice things that people want to keep secret. You did. And I missed it."

"Maybe you didn't want to see it," Maria suggested gently. "I mean, this is your mom. Maybe you just don't want to think about her like that, so you ignored those signs."

"Sounding like a shrink," Melinda muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Been hanging out with a certain shrink?"

Mel sighed again, leaning her head on Maria's shoulder. "I'm just so confused by it all." The wine from earlier in the evening and the beer were starting to catch up to her. "Maybe if I go to sleep, it will all make more sense in the morning." she mumbled.

"Maybe so," the other woman replied, reaching over to turn out the light. "Sweet dreams."

XXXXXXXXXX

A few days later, Maria picked up a coffee in the cafeteria and started to head out when she noticed Andrew Gardner sitting at a table. After considering for a few moments, she went over and pulled out the chair across from him, taking a seat. He looked up, curious.

"Melinda May," she said, watching for his reaction.

Because she was watching, she noticed a gleam in his eyes, quickly covered.

"You're the second person I've met here by that name," he commented.

She continued watching him.

"What are your intentions towards her?"

He settled back in his chair, arms crossed at his chest, studying her.

"What concern is it of yours?" he finally asked.

"I care about her. Enough do this, even though I know how much it will piss her off," she told him.

"And knowing that she will make you pay?"

She nodded.

"Then I would guess you to be Maria Hill," he deduced, holding out his hand.

"I am," she admitted, shaking his hand. "She's told you about me?"

He grinned. "I'll tell you what she said about you if you tell me what she's said about me."

It was tempting. Though she adored Melinda and the others, none of them were much for talking about their feelings or relationships. They just accepted them as understood.

And part of that understanding was the keeping of confidences.

"No can do," she told him.

He nodded. "Understood."

"We've chosen the lives we live. We enjoy what we do. But it can take a lot from you. I affects us and the people around us. The people we care about."

"I know," he said. "My job is all about people like you. Listening to what you say about your experiences. And about what you don't say. People who do what you do tend to be a closed-mouthed bunch, so you don't make it easy."

Maria nodded. "You know about it on an intellectual level, but the actual experiences are a very different thing. Do you really think you'll be able to deal with being involved with someone that that stuff is reality for?"

"I don't know, Maria. I wish I could say definitively that I could deal with that, but the truth is, no one really knows until they actually face something how they will react. I just know that I've done a lot of studying and reading on people who get into this line of work. Did my dissertation on it, in fact. I never wanted to get really personal with anyone in the field."

He met her crystal blue gaze.

"Until now. Melinda's special. She makes me want to take that risk. I've never looked at her files or seen her as a patient and won't. If she wants to talk to me, it will be as a friend, rather than as a doctor. If she's willing to take a chance on me. And I hope she will. I really like her. She's fun to be with. Smart. Observant. You ever people watch with her?"

"Yeah," Maria smiled. "In case you haven't figured it out, it's not a good idea to try to drink when you do. I always ended up with soda coming out my nose."

Andrew smiled back. "Coffee kind of stings, too."

They shared another smile, then he continued. "My point is, I know you worry about her getting hurt. I wish I could promise that that won't happen, but I can't. I don't know what the future holds for either of us or how we'll react. We'll just have to take it as we go."

He watched the young woman across the table, suddenly realizing that her opinion was important. Melinda didn't talk much about her personal life yet, and he knew that those she had mentioned were very dear to her. And Maria was one of those few people.

Finally, she nodded. "I appreciate your honesty. I'd be worried if you had tried to promise me that everything would be rainbows and unicorns. I'm a realist. I just want to know that you're serious about this. That you're not playing with her emotions."

"I assure you, Maria. I really like Melinda and really want to see where this goes. And I'm definitely not playing with her. I don't have a death wish."

"Good. Just remember that," she said, rising from table.

XXXXXXXXXX

Even though she hadn't seen Melinda, she had no doubt that the other woman was well aware of her meeting with Andrew and would find a way to show her displeasure. It was only a matter of time and she decided to relax and just accept the inevitable. Mel would have her revenge, but not in a malicious or harmful way,.

It was a couple of days later when Melinda finally made her move. Maria had finished a workout and headed into the locker room. When she opened her locker, she was met by a wall of white foam.

Shaving cream.

She sighed heavily and shook her head, then grabbed a large trash can and pulled it over to the locker. She started scooping out large handfuls of the suds, dumping them into the receptacle.

"Quite the mess you've got there," a voice commented.

Maria looked up to find Melinda leaning up against another locker, smirking at her.

"Yeah," she replied, continuing with her task. "Wonder how it happened?"

Mel shrugged. "I suppose strange things happen when you go poking your nose into things that are none of your business."

"Apparently."

The silence stretched out while the younger woman continued the clean up. May finally broke it.

"So?"

"So, what?"

"What did he have to say?"

Maria glared at her. "You really expect me to tell you anything after this?"

"All your papers and electronics are in sealed bags, so they're safe."

"Thanks for that, I suppose."

"Your clothes and stuff..." She shrugged. "They're washable, right?"

"Yeah, it's all washable."

Melinda stepped over and started helping with the clean up. She kept looking to the other woman.

"Are you going to tell me what you talked about?"

"Nope."

Mel huffed, but continued scooping out the foam.

"I will ask one favor, though," Maria said.

Melinda's eyebrow rose in question.

"No ugly bridesmaid dress, please."

Her response was a bright smile.

"You got it."

 _Thanks for taking the time to read. I'd really love to know your thoughts. I love writing, but it's a little frustrating to spend hours working on something and receiving little feedback._

 _Alright. Let's see where the Muse leads me next. The Courtship prompt that had me stumped finally got done and posted and I think I have an idea where to go with the next one. Complications has a pretty well defined next chapter in my mind, as does Alternative and I have another idea or two for this. Risks & Stroll are a little foggy right now, so I guess I'll think on those for a bit and work on the ideas I have. _

_Sorry. Rambling again. Until next time!_


	3. Daddy Jasper

_This extra bit takes place during chapter 3, when Jasper is called on to pick up a sick Maria at school. I'm not sure that I have a very good grip on his character, so I hope it's okay. Happy reading, friends._

* * *

A Shared Philosophy Extras 3

"You want me to do what?" Jasper Sitwell said into the phone.

"Pick Maria up from school," Phil repeated. "The nurse said that she's sick. She's running a fever and has thrown up a couple of times."

"Can't you do it? Or Fury? She's knows you. Or Melinda. She'll like Melinda. Everyone likes Melinda," he babbled nervously. "She doesn't know me and probably wouldn't like me anyway. Most people don't. At least, at first. Kids don't like me. Someone else would be better."

"Actually, no, we can't. I'm in the middle of a meeting with a several of the most powerful men in South America. Fury is in DC, and Melinda is on a flight somewhere over the Pacific ocean. Besides, according to her school records, her father is the only one who can pick her up. As good actors as they are, I doubt either Mel or Fury could pass for her father."

"There's another problem. I'm not her father, either and I'm sure they'll need identification before they'll just let her walk out of the school with someone."

"Not a problem," Phil assured him. "I already talked to Simon down in documents. It's just a simple matter of pulling Hill's license and replacing his picture with yours. Simon was actually insulted that I asked him if he could do it," he told Jasper with a laugh. "It should be ready for you to pick up by the time you're ready to go."

"But she doesn't even know me," Jasper reminded him. "She'll probably refuse to come with me."

Phil pondered a moment. "We'll just have to hope she doesn't. She mentioned seeing you at the belt test and I told her your name. Maybe I'll ask Simon to print up some pictures of her for you to put in your wallet. Dads carry pictures of their kids, right?"

"I don't know," Jasper admitted.

"Maybe you can convince the nurse that she's delirious from fever if she says she doesn't know you. Or that you had a fight this morning and she's just being difficult." He thought for another moment. "You'll figure it out if you need to."

"And then what? You said she's sick. Do I need to get her some medicine? A doctor? Do we know if she has a doctor? What do we do about that?"

"I've talked to a friend of mine who works in the clinic there at HQ. She said to bring the kid in if you think she needs to see someone," he told him.

Jasper stood there a few more moments, unable to come up with any more reasons to turn Phil down. It wasn't that he didn't want to help out his friend. It was interesting to work with him and the others, planning to make life better for the little girl.

But actually dealing with her on a one on one basis was a whole different ball game.

Jasper had spent little time around children, even when he was a child himself, and still found himself ill at ease in their presence.

Sensing his discomfort, Phil chuckled. "Don't worry, Jasper. She doesn't bite. As least, I don't think she does."

"What about crying? What if she cries? I wouldn't know what to do if she cries."

"I don't think she'll cry," the other man assured him. "Fury said she didn't make a sound when there were three older boys beating on her."

Sitwell felt his temper rising. He knew there were people who got a kick out of terrorizing others, lording their superior size or strength over those with less, but it never failed to anger him.

He took a deep breath. "Okay. I'll go get her," he told the other man, getting to his feet. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

"I don't think so," Phil replied. "Just play it by ear, I suppose. Oh, while you're there, you might also want to add my information to her record so that I can get calls or pick her up if need be."

"Okay."

"Put down that I'm her uncle."

Jasper snorted. "My brother, Phil Hill?"

"Brother in law might be better," he answered. "Phil Andrews. I've already got an ID under that name. I'll send you the info on it."

"You got it, Mr. Andrews," Sitwell replied, ending the call.

On the drive to the school, he pondered various scenarios, trying to imagine everything that could possibly go wrong and how he would deal with it. At the school, he calmly walked into the office, explaining who he was and showing his new license.

The woman at the desk double checked his information against Maria's file After adding 'Uncle Phil' to her records, he followed the directions down the hall to the nurse's office. He caught sight of the girl and took a deep breath.

This was the moment it could all go south.

"Hi, sweetheart," he said, patting her on the head. "I hear you're not feeling well."

She studied him a moment, her face slightly flushed with fever and her eyes glassy. He noticed a brief flash of fear and a wariness as she watched him. He tried his best to look friendly and non threatening. After a short pause, she nodded.

With a sigh of relief, he listened carefully to the woman's instructions as he collected her belongings. He felt a little apprehensive when she handed him a trash bag.

"She's thrown up three times already. I don't know if she has anything left in her tummy at this point, but it never hurts to be prepared."

He nodded agreement and turned towards the door. Maria slid off the bed and followed.

The nurse was watching closely.

Need to be convincing.

Hand. Parents held their kids' hands, right?

He held his hand out and got a puzzled look in return. When he smiled and inclined his head towards her, she hesitantly slipped her hand into his. He felt a moment of amazement at how small and fragile it felt.

Settling her in the back seat of his car, he felt his concern increasing. She was warm to the touch, but still shaking.

'Fever?' he wondered. 'Or dehydration?'

He covered her with his coat, introducing himself as he continued trying to assess the situation. No expert in children's health, he recalled enough first aid training to think that either could have serious consequences. Phil's doctor friend would certainly be getting a visit from them, he decided as he held a trash bag in front of her while she heaved.

The drive to HQ shouldn't be a long one, but he thought that maybe he could at least do something for her before they arrived. He pulled into a convenience store parking lot and told her he'd be right back.

He wasn't sure enough to try to treat her fever, but recognizing and treating dehydration symptoms had been a regular topic by the physical trainers as well as the medical staff. The smaller the patient, the quicker and more dire it could be. Replenishing fluids and electrolytes was vital.

In the store, he studied the selection of sports drinks, unsure which she would find more appealing. Finally, he just grabbed one of each and paid before dashing back to his car.

The girl had dozed and he woke her so she could see what he had. At her shrug, he chose one, opened it and handed it to her. He watched as she took several sips and nodded her thanks.

After receiving the diagnosis and medication from Bailee, he considered for a few moments. From what Phil had said, her father wasn't at their apartment and had little concern for the girl anyway. After all, he had apparently sent her to school sick this morning. But someone should probably keep an eye on her. Make sure her fever didn't go too high and that she kept drinking.

Keeping her with him in his office seemed the best option. He could keep watch over her and might also ease his boredom. He had discovered that sitting behind a desk got very old very quickly. The pain from his recent injury was easing, but they were estimating another week or so before he would be allowed back in the field.

Once she was dozing on his office couch, he updated the other three on her condition, then returned to his paperwork. He checked on her frequently, pleased to note that her temperature seemed to be dropping and her color looked better.

He continued to send out updates, responding to their questions and concerns. He swallowed his nervous reaction when his caller ID showed Fury's name and number, reminding himself that is was about the girl.

At the end of his day, he secured his work before gently waking her to take her home. He stopped around the corner from her apartment building and gave her another dose of antibiotic and of fever medication.

"Do you need anything else?" he asked. "Something to eat?"

She shook her head quickly. "No food," she replied.

"What time do you want me to bring your medicine in the morning?"

"I leave for school about 7:30," she told him.

"But you can't go to school tomorrow," he reminded her.

"I know, but my dad doesn't. I'll just leave at the normal time and find someplace to stay for the day. Or wait until he leaves and go back home," she said with a shrug.

XXXXX

The next morning, he was pleased to note that she looked much better.

"Did you have some breakfast?" he asked, offering her her medication.

"I had some toast," she replied.

"That's good. Was that enough?"

"It was," she nodded. "Thanks for everything. I'll see you later," she told him with a shy smile, moving to get out of the car.

He reached out to place a hand on her arm. "Actually, I was thinking you might come to work with me again today," he said. "So I can keep an eye on you. Make sure the fever stays down, since I have to give you a note for school."

She hesitated.

"You can get your schoolwork done while I work," he told her, nodding towards her backpack.

Finally, she nodded. "I'd like that," she said softly.

"Then buckle up," he answered with a grin.

When he pulled into the parking garage, he turned to her, noticing a pensive look on her face.

"Jasper? I'm probably not supposed to be here. What if someone asks why I am?"

He looked around as through making sure they were alone, then turned to face her. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret, Maria."

She nodded seriously and leaned close.

"The key is to look like you have every right to be where you are."

"That's it?" she asked with a puzzled look.

He nodded. "If you walk into a place looking nervous and out of place, people are going be suspicious. Ask questions. Offer to help you. If you're confident and self assured, they're much more likely to assume that you're supposed to be there and leave you to your own devices."

Her face blank, she thought for a moment, then nodded. "I suppose that makes sense."

"You ready to give it a try?"

She nodded and grabbed her backpack, climbing out of the car. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her spine and headed for the door. Jasper grinned and followed.

As they walked the hallways, she did draw some attention, but she handled it perfectly, making eye contact and nodding confidently. Sitwell schooled his features not to reflect his pleasure, simply adding his own nod to the questioning looks.

They arrived at his office without incident and she took a seat on his couch, pulling out her homework. She set to work as the agent pulled out his own. He remembered the tote bag he had brought in with him from the car. When he'd had the idea of bringing her with him the night before, he had packed up a few things he thought she might like.

He held it up. "When you're finished, I brought along a few things you might enjoy." He pulled out a coloring book and some crayons. "Do you like to color?"

Biting her lip, she shook her head. "Not to much," she admitted.

"Draw?" he asked, removing a pad.

When she hesitated, he tossed it aside.

"Not so much, huh?"

Reluctantly, she shook her head again. "But thank you for bringing them."

"There's more," he assured her. "How about word puzzles?" He held up a book. "It's got word searches, crosswords, cryptograms and some others." Interest brightened her face and he breathed a sigh of relief. "I also brought a couple of books that I read when I was about your age," he added, holding up battered paperback copies of 'Call of the Wild' and 'Tom Sawyer.' "I don't know if you like to read or not..."

"I love to read," she told him with a smile.

Pleased, he sat the bag next to her on the sofa. After an hour or so, he noticed her working on something in the puzzle book, and later, curled up with one of the novels.

At lunch time, he called down to the cafeteria and ordered up soup and sandwiches for them both. When the young man brought them up, he looked curiously at Maria on the couch.

"Who are you?" he asked.

She looked up, fixing him with a serious gaze for several moments, then shook her head.

"Sorry. Classified," she told him with a knowing look.

"Oh. Okay," he acknowledged with a nod as Jasper took the food, barely containing his amusement. After he had left, the agent pushed the door closed again and looked to the girl.

"Was that okay?" she asked.

"Perfect," he told her with a nod.

The rest of the day passed in a companionable silence and Sitwell found himself oddly reluctant to end their time together when his workday wrapped up. Side by side, they headed back to the car. When he suggested a stop at a nearby diner for the evening meal, she nodded.

After, he wrote her excuse note for school the next day, gave her the evening medication dose, and dropped her off near her apartment. She handed him back the novels and puzzle book.

"You don't like them?" he asked.

"I finished this one," she told him, pointing to one of the books.

"Why don't you hold on to the other one until you finish it. And you can keep the puzzle book, too. I got it for you."

She shook her head. "Sometimes, my dad looks through my stuff and he gets mad if I have things that he doesn't think I should."

"He doesn't think you should have books?"

Another head shake. "He says I have too many chores to do to be doing things for fun."

Jaspers eyes narrowed. "You said he gets mad. What happens when he gets mad."

Her gaze dropped to her hands. "He just yells a lot. And tears things up."

Before he could probe further, she unbuckled and reached for the door handle.

"Thanks, Jasper," she told him, her shy smile peeking through again. "I liked spending time with you."

"I liked it, too," he answered. "Maybe we can do it again sometime. When you're not sick."

The next morning, he met her in their usual spot for her medicine. He handed her the puzzle book and the novel she hadn't finished yet. "I figure you can keep these at school for now," he told her. "When you finish the book, you can leave it in the mail drawer where you keep your winter coat and I'll get something else for you."

Their pattern continued for the next several days. He would pick her up in the morning for her medication, take her to school, then pick her up after. She would sit in his office, doing homework or reading until he was finished, then a stop for dinner and medication before delivering her home again. Even after her last dose, he continued the rides to and from school.

"It's gotten to be a habit," he told her.

A habit that ended a few days later when he was finally cleared to return to field work and was immediately scheduled for a trip to Dallas. He was sad to have their time come to an end, but she simply nodded stoically when he told her.

"I'm glad you're well again," she told him seriously, "And can go back to helping other people."

At their final evening at the diner, he excused himself to speak to the man behind the counter, then brought him over to the table.

"Maria, this is Jerry. He owns this place and says he's usually here. If you need something to eat, like on the weekends or holidays when you don't have school, you can come here and he'll make sure you're taken care of, okay?"

"I can't do that," she protested. "I've already been a bother."

"No, you haven't," he assured her. "And it's for just in case."

"And you can take your leftovers to Cedric," Jerry leaned over and whispered to her, winking at the other man. He had told Jasper about the homeless man who had regaled him with stories of the little angel who provided him with the occasional meal.

"Maybe," she finally agree. "Just in case I really need something."

When he dropped her at her apartment that night, she offered a solemn nod. "Thanks for taking care of me, Jasper. I know you probably had other things to do."

"Not anything better than hanging out with you," he told her.

She stuck out her hand and he took it, shaking it firmly.

After packing that night, he sent a group text updating the rest of the team about the situation. He told them about the deal he had set up at the diner and asked that someone check in on the balance from time to time. He also told them about the arrangement with the books. She had proven to be a voracious reader, finishing one every couple of days during the couple of weeks she had spent with him and he knew he would need help keeping up with her.

Nick was just glad she wasn't interested in fairies, unicorns, and princesses.

* * *

 _Thanks ever so much for reading. I appreciate the gift of your time. I'd REALLY love to know what you thought of this chapter. I'm working on the next chapters of Stoll and Consequences, so we'll see what gets finished first. Or if the Muse decides I need to work on something else. Or something new. She has a mind of her own. Hopefully, I'll have something ready soon. Love you all!_


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